1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular input device including a single manual operating unit for operating concentratively various electronic devices mounted on a vehicle. Particularly, the invention is concerned with means for improving the versatility and operability of the input device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up-to-date automobiles are equipped with various electronic devices such as air conditioner, radio, television, CD player, and navigation system. If these electronic devices are each individually operated by operating controls which are provided in the electronic devices respectively, there may be an obstacle to driving the automobiles. For facilitating the selection of a desired function, e.g., ON-OFF switching, of a certain electronic device without obstructing safe driving, a vehicular input device has heretofore been proposed in which various operations of various electronic devices can be conducted by operating a single manual operating unit.
A conventional technique associated with such a vehicular input device will be described below with reference to FIGS. 16 to 19, of which FIG. 16 is an interior diagram of an automobile, showing an example of a vehicular input device, FIG. 17 is a side view of a vehicular input device proposed heretofore, FIG. 18 is a plan view of a manual operating unit used in the vehicular input device shown in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is a plan view of a guide plate incorporated in the vehicular input device shown in FIG. 17.
As shown in FIG. 16, the vehicular input device of this example, indicated at 100, is installed in a console box 200 which is disposed between the driver seat and the front occupant seat. The conventional vehicular input device 100 shown in FIG. 17 is mainly composed of a manual operating unit 110 (see FIG. 18) provided with two switches 111 and 112 for click as signal input means and three rotary variable resistors 113, 114, and 115; an XY table 120 which is operated in two directions orthogonal to each other (in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 17 and in the transverse direction in the same figure) by means of the manual operating unit 110; a stick controller 130 that functions as a position signal input means which inputs signals to an external device in accordance with an operating direction of the XY table 120 and the amount of operation of the same table; and a guide plate 140 (see FIG. 19) which is engaged with an engaging pin 160 projecting from a lower surface of the XY table 120.
The manual operating unit 110 and the XY table 120 are rendered integral with each other through a connecting shaft 150. The XY table 120 and the guide plate 140 are engaged with each other by inserting a lower end portion of the engaging pin 160 movably into a guide groove 141 formed in the guide plate 140. The guide groove 141 can be set in a desired shape which permits the lower end portion of the engaging pin 160 to move in a specific direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, a guide groove 141 which is cross-shaped in plan may be formed in an upper surface of the guide plate 140 so that the lower end portion of the engaging pin 160 can be moved up to end portions of B, C, D, and E in two generally orthogonal directions from a center A. More specifically, by operating the manual operating unit 110 the engaging pin 160 can be moved along the guide groove 141 of the guide plate 140 through the XY table 120, and with the lower end portion of the engaging pin 160 positioned in any of the end points A, B, C, D, and E in the guide groove 141, information (a position signal) on that engaged position is outputted from the stick controller 130. Therefore, by utilizing such a position signal, a function (a function to be adjusted) of an electronic device mounted on a vehicle can be selected in an alternative manner. After a desired function of the electronic device has thus been selected, it is possible to make adjustment or switching of the selected function by suitably operating the three rotary variable resistors 113 to 115 provided in the manual operating unit 110.
As shown in FIG. 16, the vehicular input device 100 thus constructed is combined with a switch unit 170 which selects a desired electronic device alternatively from among plural electronic devices mounted on the vehicle, a display 180 which displays the name of the electronic device selected by the switch unit 170 and the contents of operation performed by the vehicular input device 100, and further with a computer (not shown) which controls those devices. As a result, the plural electronic devices can be operated in a concentrative manner. The switch unit 170 is installed in a console box 200 and is provided with operating switches 171a to 171e which are disposed near the vehicular input device 100 and which are connected each independently to different electronic devices. For example, if the operating switches 171a to 171e are connected each independently to air conditioner, radio, television, CD player, and navigation system, which are mounted on the vehicle, ON-OFF switching of the air conditioner and designation of an air conditioner mode for the vehicular input device 100 can be done by operating the operating switch 171a, and ON-OFF switching of the radio and designation of a radio mode for the vehicular input device 100 can be done by operating the operating switch 171b. Likewise, by operating the other operating switches 171c to 171e it is possible to effect ON-OFF switching of the corresponding electronic devices and mode designation for the vehicular input device 100. The display 180, e.g., a liquid crystal display, is installed in a position easy to see from the driver seat, while the computer referred to above is installed within the. console box 200.
The selection and adjustment of a function of the electronic device selected by the switch unit 170 can be done by operating the vehicular input device 100, but the function capable of being selected and adjusted by operation of the vehicular input device 100 differs depending on the type of the selected electronic device. For example, when the air conditioner mode has been designated by operating the switch unit 170, if the engaging pin 160 is positioned in the end portion B of the guide groove 141 of the guide plate 140 by operating the manual operating unit 110 and if the clicking switch 111 is depressed for clicking, there is selected an xe2x80x9cair volume adjustxe2x80x9d function, while if the engaging pin 160 is positioned in the end portion C of the guide groove 141 and the switch 111 is clicked, there is selected an xe2x80x9cair blow-off position adjustxe2x80x9d function. Likewise, if the switch 111 is clicked with the engaging pin 160 positioned in the end portions D and E of the guide groove 141, there are selected xe2x80x9cair blow-off direction adjustxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctemperature adjustxe2x80x9d functions.
After the selection of functions, the functions can be adjusted by suitably operating the rotary variable resistors 113 to 115. For example, with the air conditioner mode designated by the switch unit 170 and xe2x80x9cair volume adjustxe2x80x9d selected by the manual operating unit 110, the air volume in the air conditioner can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistor 113. Likewise, when xe2x80x9cair blow-off position adjustxe2x80x9d is selected in the air conditioner mode, the air blow-off position from the air conditioner can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistors 114 and 115. When the radio mode is designated by the switch unit 170 and xe2x80x9cvolume adjustxe2x80x9d selected by the manual operating unit 110, the volume of the radio can be adjusted by operating the rotary variable resistor 113. Further, xe2x80x9ctuningxe2x80x9d is selected in the radio mode, tuning of the radio can be done by operating the rotary variable resistors 114 and 115.
The conventional vehicular input device 100 is installed in a console box 200 which is provided between the driver seat and the front occupant seat in the automobile concerned. Once installed, the mounting posture of the input device for the console box 200 cannot be changed. Consequently, for some particular physical constitution and form of a vehicular driver or occupant, the operability of the input device may be poor and it may be impossible to make the most of the convenience of the input device.
The present invention has been accomplished for solving the above-mentioned problem of the prior art and it is an object of the invention to provide a vehicular input device for which the mounting posture can be adjusted to conform with the physical constitution and form of an operator and which is superior in both versatility and operability.
According to the present invention, for solving the above-mentioned problem, there is provided a vehicular input device comprising a housing, a manual operating unit mounted on an upper surface of the housing, a position sensor which outputs a position signal corresponding to the direction and amount that the manual operating unit is operated, and a plurality of push-button switches arranged on the upper surface of the housing, wherein the mounting posture of the housing in the interior of an automobile can be adjusted freely by the manual operating unit after the initial mounting of the housing.
According to this construction, since the mounting structure of the housing in the interior of an automobile can be adjusted freely in conformity with the physical constitution and form of an operator, it becomes possible to utilize various components conveniently and thus the versatility and operability of the vehicular input device are improved.
Preferably, the mounting posture of the housing in the interior of the automobile can be adjusted by operating the manual operating unit and push-button switches mounted on the housing.
By so doing, it is not necessary to use any special device for controlling the posture of the housing and the whole of the vehicular input device can be constructed compactly.
The position sensor and the push-button switches may be electrically connected to a display through a computer both provided in the automobile to display on the display the mounting posture of the housing which is adjusted by operating the manual operating unit and the push-button switches both mounted on the housing, as well as the operation of the manual operating unit.
In this case, the operator can adjust the mounting posture of the housing while checking the displayed contents on the display and therefore can control the posture of the housing quickly and positively.